So Near, so good: Does near-distance perception reduce interpersonal psychological distance?

Abstract

We conducted 2 experiments to explore whether or not the perception of interpersonal distance affects interpersonal psychological distance. Experiment 1 (N = 60) involved a mixed design examination of the relationship between distance perception (near vs. far) and gender consistency (consistent vs. inconsistent). The results showed that the figure at a near distance was perceived as being significantly more favorable than that of the figure at a far distance. Experiment 2 (N = 59) used a single-factor randomized design to investigate differences in stimulus size. The results showed that the size did not affect favorability evaluations. Our finding that a near interpersonal distance perception reduced interpersonal psychological distance supports both construal level theory and embodied cognition theory.